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Committee rejects moratorium and study on wind-turbine construction
Summary
A motion to pass Senate Bill 466 — a temporary moratorium to allow a study before additional wind turbines are built — failed after a roll call; proponents cited habitat concerns while industry witnesses said evidence of population harm is scant.
The committee voted down Senate Bill 466, a proposed moratorium that would have delayed new wind-turbine construction while a study of impacts on waterfowl and raptors was completed.
Senator Desmaine (sponsor) said the bill would allow a study before permitting more turbines and would allow projects already “in process” to continue. When asked what “in process” meant, the sponsor said the bill’s text stops projects after they have “turned dirt.” Senator Desmaine argued the moratorium aims to protect duck habitat and the state’s hunting heritage.
Simon Mahan, executive director of the Southern Renewable Energy Association, testified for the industry and said a study could be useful but he described the available evidence as limited. “There is scant evidence showing that waterfowl populations are harmed from wind turbines,” Mahan said, adding that the displacement observed in studies tends to be measured in hundreds of feet rather than miles.
The committee took a roll-call vote on a motion to pass the bill. The roll call recorded multiple members voting both for and against and the motion failed on the floor of the committee. Sponsor closing remarks reiterated concerns about habitat impacts and appealed for a favorable vote, but the committee did not approve the bill.
Because the motion failed, the statutory moratorium and study provisions in SB466 will not advance from this committee.
